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Believers of the Source
All life springs from the same divine source, ascending and descending in form as the cosmos tests it. Factol: Ambar Vergrove Sigil HQ: Great Foundry (Lower Ward). Home Field: Ethereal demiplanes. Allies: Athar Enemies: Bleak Cabal, Dustmen WITHIN THE RANKS Considering their extroverted natures, it’s no surprise most Godsmen join the faction to help others “evolve” and see their own potential. (A few ruthless bashers join assuming they can easily get ahead in the ranks within such a swarm of well-meaners.) Believers hate it when berks act apathetic or resigned towards the multiverse – they’ll tolerate bashers who become selfish and wicked, but not those who lack interest in self-improvement. ROLEPLAYING THE BELIEVERS OF THE SOURCE Despite their concerns for others, don’t call Godsmen softies. They insist a basher learn from his mistakes, and they won’t interfere in “life lessons.” Sure, a body can count on a Godsman to help out in a pinch, but the blood’ll never rob another of a learning experience. ‘Course, some lean on the notion that these lessons of the multiverse act as a forge, while failing to recognize that this forge usually equally on everyone. These bashers figure some sods have more potential than others, so they have no qualms about contributing to the tough “education” of those that come up short. So, bubbers wanting sympathetic handouts from these Believers had better look elsewhere. ALIGNMENT Having what looks like a compassionate outlook doesn’t mean a believer has to espouse the principles of goodness. Many Godsmen are evil (wanting to inhibit others’ progress toward godhood) or neutral (professing that non-interference in others’ lives allows the multiverse to do its best work). Lawful Godsmen view regulations as essential in the process of evolving toward divinity. “Follow the rules, and a body’ll pass all the tests the multiverse offers up,” they insist. Chaotic Godsmen evaluate all situations case by case. After all, giving one beggar a free dinner might give him the energy to play a pennywhistle for the entertainment (and coins) of passerby. Feeding another might just convince him to put off doing anything for himself yet one more day. Sometimes killing a sod is the best thing a body can do for him. Neutral Godsmen fall somewhere in between. CLASS A Godsmen has two preoccupations: his own progress up the chain of evolution and the progress of the rest of the bashers in the multiverse. ‘Course, no two will express these concerns quite the same way – it depends on a body’s area of expertise. Fighters think battle teaches a basher life’s lesson., so they press conflict on others to help them grow. Godsman paladins believe they evolve by helping others and expect those they aid to offer succour too. Rangers, biased toward beasts, frequently see their animal friends’ potential unmatched in sentient races. Godsman priests seek to emulate the divine evolution of their deities, yet they know that power leads to the Source. Druids trusting in the cycles of the natural world, believe these cycles will bring into a body’s life the appropriate level of testing and illumination. Believer wizards, frequently arrogant, believe magic is the key to evolution and pity those who don’t dabble in this art. Godsmen thieves think secrets’re best stolen and love forbidden knowledge. Bards know they can spark inspiration: After a heroic ballad, they want listeners to emulate the song’s hero. RACE Due to belief in the divine potential of every being, Believers of the Source welcome a diverse membership. Wemics, pixies, satyrs, bariaur, tieflings, dwarves, and half-elves mingle with one another and the odd erinyes, lammasu, githyanki, slaad or moon dog. BELIEVERS OF THE SOURCE MEMBERSHIP Believers want to drill into members that life is a forge, shaping personalities and spirits. Therefore, to join the faction, bashers have to take their turn at the forge. A body tells the guards at the Great Foundry’s main gate that he’s interested, and before he knows it, he’s sweating rivers in the wire-works or one of the others. If the Back-breaking labor doesn’t send them running, these namers can seek greater involvement in the faction by asking a more experienced member to sponsor them. Namers serve informal apprenticeships with these mentors, learning the rigors of Believers philosophy. But different mentors provide very different experiences: Some virtually ignore their charges, while others insist on daily lessons reinforced by assigned tasks. When a mentor considers his protégé ready for a factotum’s responsibility – to seek the inherent worth of all – he presents the namer to a factor for evaluation. The candidate then undergoes a series of tests: unusual puzzles or challenging tasks, specifically tailored to probe his fears and limitations. ‘Course, the factors don’t measure prospects against perfection. They just try to gauge the malleability of a namer in the multiversal forge. A similar test is administered at Ambar’s Palace to factotums chosen to advance to factor rank. Category:Factions